1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to devices and networks that utilize wireless computer networks and methods of creating incentives for establishment and continued operation of wireless computer networks. The present invention further relates to methods and networks that allow for proper for users to access wireless services from wireless hotspots without requiring an account with each wireless hotspot location. Additionally, the present invention also provides incentives to rapidly expand the growth of wireless services to create an economic base of wireless services users and wireless hotspots locations.
2. Description of Related Art
The emergence of what are commonly called wireless hotspots has increased the mobility of wireless users and allowed mobile users to access network resources without requiring a physical connection to the large network. Many of these wireless hotspots have appeared in coffee shops and libraries, and allow users with wireless communication equipment to communicate with local area networks and wide area networks as they move about. The locations that provide the access do so to attract customers or because, in the case of libraries, they see such access as an extension of their governmental mandate. However, the equipment, monitoring and access services are not free, and the provider of the hotspot has to bear the burden of those expenses. As an example, a T-1 digital connection can cost approximately $1000 per month in 2002 rates to provide such a level of service. If the expansion of wireless hotspots is to continue so that they become ubiquitous, one possibility is for the persons using the hotspots should take up some portion of the costs.
In addition, there is also a xe2x80x9cchicken or the eggxe2x80x9d type problem with wireless access. Since the relative number of users of wireless devices in 2002 is not high, establishments do not generally have any incentive to provide wireless service for a small number of users. Similarly, while the number of establishments offering wireless services is small, users of the wireless devices don""t not generally have any incentive to sign up for those services if they are available in only a few places. One of the benefits of having consumers pay for the access services, is that this would allow for the party receiving payments to create incentives to expand wireless access and thus increase the amount of payments received by the party receiving payments.
As such, there is a need for a method or mechanism that can create incentives for wireless devices and wireless hotspots to spread the use of wireless access. In addition, there is also a need for a system and method that can monitor the use of existing services offered by wireless hotspot to wireless devices and provide incentives to expand the existing services based on use.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the drawbacks of the above-described conventional network devices and methods. The present invention is directed to software applications and systems that allow for controls to be placed on the type and amount of data received and sent based on access criteria. Those controls are important in that they allow the end user or the device to control the amount of data received from or sent to the wireless network that the system will process and display.
According to one aspect of this invention, a process of creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. An access point is provided to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a non-private location. Use of the access point for a portable device is authenticated by requiring submission of an account identifier to the service provider and a user of the portable device is billed for use of the access point. Use statistics are evaluated of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portables devices and an inducement is provided to the non-private location based on the evaluated use statistics.
Alternatively, the use statistics may be the number of users of the access point of the wireless hotspot or the types of services utilized by users of the access point of the wireless hotspot. Also, the authentication of use of the access point for a portable device may be through requiring submission of an account identifier to one of a wireless telephone service provider and a landline telephone service provider. The inducements may include providing a proprietor of the wireless hotspot with a portion of revenue received by the service provider based on the step of billing a user of the portable device for use of the access point. The inducements may also include providing subsidized access to the access point of the wireless hotspot for certain users affiliated with the wireless hotspot.
The process may include advertising services available from the wireless hotspot to users of the access point of the wireless hotspot, where the advertisement may be made through the access point to users of the access point of the wireless hotspot or through a wireless telephone network. Additionally, the inducement may include upgrading equipment utilized by the access point, where enhanced equipment may be provided to the wireless hotspot to provide greater bandwidth access to portable devices accessing the access point. Also, the inducement may include providing specialized content to the wireless hotspot.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a system for monitoring of wireless hotspots and creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. The system includes first providing means for providing an access point to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a non-private location and authenticating means for authenticating use of the access point for a portable device by requiring submission of an account identifier to the service provider. The system further includes billing means for billing a user of the portable device for use of the access point, evaluating means for evaluating the use statistics of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portable devices and second providing means for providing an inducement to the non-private location based on the evaluated use statistics.
In another embodiment, a system for monitoring of wireless hotspots and creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. The system includes a first provider for providing an access point to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a non-private location and an authenticator for authenticating use of the access point for a portable device by requiring submission of an account identifier to the service provider. The system also includes an accounting system for billing a user of the portable device for use of the access point, an evaluator for evaluating the use statistics of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portables devices and a second provider for providing an inducement to the non-private location based on the evaluated use statistics.
These and other objects of the present invention will be described in or be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments.